A second trip to New York in a matter of months was a luxury made possible by the Cathay Pacific New Year Deal. Winter in New York was an opportunity to enjoy the holiday spirit in the Big Apple.
Little did I know that a few months later, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 would bring travel around the world to a standstill.
In this post:
New York Highlights
Christmas was all around with decorations, lights and trees up all over the city. The Rockefeller Centre tree is iconic, and there was an impressive tree in the courtary of the Palace Hotel (of Gossip Girl fame).
It was great to see Grand Central decked out for the holidays, constantly busy with commuters and tourists.
This is in stark contrast with our new normal, best captured in a recent New Yorker magazine cover by Eric Drooker.
Given that Sydney doesn’t usually snow, it was great to see a bit of frost in the mornings as well as take part in some winter sports like ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre.
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold
After my October trip, I was just under half way to MVP Gold status with Alaska Airlines. Even with the return Cathay First Class flights from Hong Kong to New York, I still needed to earn 2,000 miles to get me over the line.
The Sydney to Hong Kong leg in Economy Class with Cathay Pacific was just the ticket and by the end of the trip, I had earned Alaska MVP Gold for 2020.
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Achieved
The other objective was to complete the Marriott Platinum Challenge, which requires 16 nights in 90 days.
I stayed 8 nights during the October trip, and booked another 8 for December:
- 1 Night at the Four Points By Sheraton Danang
- 5 Nights at the Fairfield Inn Manhattan Financial District
- 2 Nights at the Mira Moon Hong Kong
A few days after arriving home in Sydney, my status updated to Platinum in the Marriott app and a few weeks later a physical membership card arrived in the mail.
Summary
New York at Christmas can be a magical place. Thanks to Cathay Pacific choosing to honour the New Year deal, I was able to enjoy four excellent First Class flights and see New York in autumn and winter.
Being able to maximise earning both airline status with Alaska Mileage Plan and hotel status with Marriott Bonvoy was the icing on the cake.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks like 2020 is going to be a low to no travel year so I am even more thankful for these two trips.
Introduction – The Cathay Pacific Encore Trip
Review: American Express Lounge Sydney
Review: Cathay Pacific Economy Class 77W
Review: Cathay Dragon Economy Class A321
Review: Cathay Dragon Business Class A320
Review: The Wing First Class Lounge
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class 77W
Review: Fairfield Inn Manhattan Financial District
Review: Jean Georges New York
Review: Olmsted Brooklyn
New York Winter Activities
Review: AA Flagship Lounge & Flagship First Dining JFK
Review: Cathay Pacific First Class New York – Hong Kong
Review: Mira Moon Hong Kong
Review: The Wing Business Class Lounge
Review: Qantas Hong Kong Lounge
Review: Qantas Business Class A380 (New Business Suite)
Summary – Highlights & Points Earned
